I received a text from a friend the other day asking me to pray for someone who was very ill. She asked if I would put his name in my prayer jar, or God jar as I affectionately call it.
We should always consider it a privilege when someone asks us to pray. It tells us that they believe we have a connection to God; that maybe He will hear us and answer our prayers on their behalf. It implies that they have a measure of faith, but maybe they feel inadequate or they’re not quite sure how to pray. Some people don’t understand that prayers need not be complicated or eloquent. Praying can be as simple as talking to God as if He were a parent or friend. Many of us know how to pray, but occasionally if the situation warrants, we recruit other “prayer warriors” to join in. Whatever the reason, it is always a privilege to be asked by someone to pray.
There are times when I don’t know how to pray for someone in a particular situation. Sometimes I can’t seem to make the words come out just right. It’s times like this, when I rely on Jesus to stand in the gap and intercede on my behalf with my heavenly Father. This is because I can’t begin to understand what God’s will is for another person’s life. There may be lessons He’s trying to teach them and I don’t want to interfere in God’s plan.
There are three forces at work in our lives all of the time… God’s will for us, our own free will (which God will never interfere with) and Satan’s will. God’s will for our life is goodness, while Satan looks for every opportunity to destroy us. Our own free will (the choices we make) is where we frequently get into trouble. A proper closing for any prayer should be “Thy will, not mine, be done”.
Difficult things will continue to happen in our lives and in the lives of others that we won’t understand. One thing for certain is that prayer helps and prayer works. Believe in miracles and believe in God’s power to heal, comfort and restore. As believers we are called to be beacons of light, offering hope and encouragement to those around us; not just in the wake of tragedy, but everyday. If we say we’re going to pray for someone, we should do it, and continue to pray until the need is met.
Unfortunately the young man in the text lost his battle with brain cancer. The reality is, all prayers are not answered. We can find comfort in knowing, however, that often times God has a better plan.
Prayer is a privilege, prayer is a gift and prayer works.
